Real Estate - Senior Associate in Brierley Hill

Job title

Senior Associate

Department

Real Estate – Core

Our Purpose

To forge long-term relationships that have a positive impact on our people, our clients, our business partners, and our community.

Our Commitment to Our People

We do not think there is a magic formula to the Higgs culture. The key is to listen to and respect our people. If we take care of our people and our people take care of our clients, then everything we want as a firm will take care of itself. We are friendly and open to new ideas.

Our Core Values

Higgs’ core values are “CLEAR” – Care, Legacy, Excellence, Authenticity, Relationships.

Role Purpose

Due to the continued success and growth of the Real Estate Department, we are seeking an ambitious Senior Associate with strong commercial property experience to join our Core Real Estate team.

The team specialises in sales and acquisitions, landlord and tenant, commercial investment work, asset management, property finance and corporate occupiers. We act for funds, national retail operators, local SMEs, major lenders and high net worth individuals on a broad range of property transactions. There is also an opportunity for you to undertake corporate support work alongside our award winning Corporate team.

The role offers an excellent platform for an ambitious lawyer looking to further develop their profile, client relationships and progression towards future leadership opportunities within the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide commercial, pragmatic and strategic advice to clients across a broad range of commercial property matters.
• Confidence when dealing with and managing clients with whom you will have direct contact and front-line responsibilities.
• Ability to draft and negotiate legal documentation relating to varied transactional work including contracts, agreements for lease, leases, licences, deeds, transfers, options and overage agreements.
• Undertake legal due diligence and title investigations and reporting to clients and producing certificates of title for lenders.
• Handle high value and complex legal matters in support of the Partners in the team.
• Develop and maintain strong client, referrer and internal relationships, support key client accounts and identify opportunities for business development and cross-selling.
• Support and mentor less experienced members of the team, sharing technical knowledge and contributing to a collaborative team culture.
• Deal with file opening, compliance and anti-money laundering matters and understanding ethics and professionalism in a legal context.
• Excellent financial hygiene on matters including WIP and debt management and time recording practices

Person Specification

We use a set of criteria to ensure our recruitment process is fair and consistent.

These criteria describe the skills, behaviours and attributes that are essential for success in this role.

The criteria below will be assessed via application (A), interview (I), Test (T) or multiple i.e. (A/I/T).

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrates initiative by staying informed of developments in their practice area and wider sector. Actively applies this knowledge to deliver high-quality outcomes and supports shared learning within the team through clear communication and collaboration. (A/I)
• Applies knowledge of the firm’s policies, regulatory, and accreditation requirements. Demonstrates commercial awareness by supporting efficient working practices, identifying risks, and contributing to the overall financial health of the team and matters. (A/I)
• Delivers excellent client service through technically accurate and commercially focused advice, builds strong client relationships and contributes to business development and profile-raising activities. (A/I)
• Supports the development of the team through effective supervision, mentoring and collaborative working. (A/I)
• Takes responsibility for delivering high standards of work. Remains positive and professional during periods of change or challenge, contributes constructively to team initiatives, and seeks ongoing development to enhance performance. (A/I)

Technical Know How

• Proficient in using Microsoft 365 applications and other legal technology platforms used in the delivery and management of legal services.

What We Offer You

We offer more than just a job. Our benefits reflect our commitment to your development, wellbeing and work-life balance. Click here to discover more.

Higgs offers hybrid working wherever possible. Our Higgs’ Best FIT (flexible, inclusive, together) principles are designed to ensure that people can complete their best work from the most appropriate location. If you are looking to work flexibly then let us know and we will do what we can to accommodate your request.

We also encourage a ‘dress for your diary’ approach which means dressing in a manner appropriate for your schedule or the specific appointments you have on any given day.

Equal Opportunities

Higgs LLP is proud to be a signatory of The Law Society’s Diversity, Inclusion Charter and a Disability Confident Committed Employer. These commitments reflect our dedication to building a workplace that is inclusive, accessible, and welcoming to all. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities.

As part of our Disability Confident commitment, we offer a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role and choose to opt into the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

We are also committed to ensuring that all applicants can fully participate in the recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please let us know by contacting us at [email protected]

We recognise that inclusion is an ongoing journey, and we regularly review and publish our diversity data, which can be accessed here.

People Driven. Legal Excellence.